A major UN report produced every four years has found that humanity is falling short in its commitment to stop the loss of many species and areas key to earth’s survival.
The latest report of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity found that amphibians are most at risk, that coral reefs are deteriorating most rapidly and that nearly a quarter of all plant species are threatened with extinction.
The 1993 treaty among 193 nations says the world is falling short of its goal to achieve by this year "a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels".
Among the few slivers of hope cited in the report are measures to control the spread of so-called alien invasive species. As a result, at least 31 bird species have been saved in the past century, says News24.com.